a. Field of the Invention
Electricians who install electrical wires and cables within metallic and non-metallic conduits generally employ readily-available means, such as a hacksaw, for cutting the conduits to desired lengths. Some means is desired to deburr resulting ragged conduit edges or to ream the newly-cut conduit end. There is a particular need to deburr the inside edges to prevent removal of impairment of the insulation surrounding wires passed therethrough. With regard to fitting conduit sections and particularly connecting them to electrical junction boxes, a screwdriver is required. To avoid having to change tools, it is most useful to have a single tool which serves as both a screwdriver and a reamer or deburrer.
B. Description of the Prior Art
An electrician's combined wrench and reamer is disclosed by Young (U.S. Pat. No. 2,575,779). Young's tool is in the form of a flat bar, the reaming portion of which is severly limited with respect to the size of conduit for which it can be used to service. Olexson (U.S. Pat. No. 3,138,044) discloses an attachment for a screwdriver (or other tool) which is designed to ream and deburr. The attachment must be made to size to fit (wrap around) the screwdriver shaft. The metal from which it is made must have sufficient "give" to permit it to be tightened against the screwdriver shaft. A rather complex assembly of movable blades is provided by Graham (U.S. Pat. No. 3,763,510) to serve the electricial as a combination reamer and screwdriver.
These patents reflect efforts over a period of 25 years to satisfy a need for a practical and simple tool.